Jordan Rudess will perform twice at MIT's Thomas Tull Concert Hall in Cambridge, Massachusetts on 3 October 2026, at 5 p.m. and 8 p.m., as part of the inaugural MIT Future Fest. The concerts are the world premiere of jam_bot, an artificial-intelligence system trained on Rudess's own playing, improvising live with him and the MIT Chamber Chorus.
jam_bot was developed over three years at the MIT Media Lab with Lancelot Blanchard, Perry Naseck and Professor Joseph A. Paradiso, during Rudess's time as a Distinguished Visiting Artist at MIT's Center for Art, Science & Technology. According to the organisers, the system listens and responds to Rudess in real time while generating material for other musicians on stage, including parts for the choir.
The programme ranges from Baroque counterpoint to progressive rock and is built on improvisation, so the two performances are expected to differ. "What excites me about jam_bot isn't the technology by itself, it's where it can take me musically," Rudess said.
Tickets are $5 for the MIT community and $10 general admission, via Eventbrite, with 300 seats per show. Part of the 5 p.m. performance is reserved for MIT Future Fest ticket holders. Rudess, a Grammy winner with Dream Theater, has collaborated with MIT since 2023.
Source: Sonic Perspectives